What will your Legacy Be?
Main Scripture: Psalm 78:4
I have often posed questions to myself, “Have I made a difference in this life?” “Have I touched lives in this society and within my own family? “What kind of legacy am I leaving behind?” We must ask ourselves these questions and how we answer them and what we do about it, can make a difference for all eternity. What has God done for you? Are you telling others about it? Those questions remind me of Psalm 78:4 – “We will not hide them from their children but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and His might, and the wonders that He has done.”
While I was a student at Southeastern Seminary, I had to do research on many of our forefathers in the faith and had to look at what they accomplished as a legacy, both earthly and eternally. A pastor by the name of Jonathan Edwards and his wife Sarah were one couple who truly made a difference in many ways in the early 1700’s in colonial America. Johnathan was an author who wrote many books, prayers, and of course a lot of sermons. He was very influential in beginning the Great Awakening. They had eleven children together and poured their lives and ministry into them. The effects of the Edwards’s ministry and lives have been far-reaching, and through their family line, it is amazing to see how successful many of their descendants were. A study was done in 1900 which shows a few of the accomplishments of the 1,400 Edwards descendants:
- 100 lawyers and a dean of a law school
- 80 holders of public office
- 66 physicians and a dean of a medical school
- 65 professors of colleges and universities
- 30 judges
- 13 college presidents
- 3 mayors of large cities
- 3 governors of states
- 3 United States senators
- 1 controller of the United States Treasury
- 1 Vice President of the United States
What about you? Oh, you may not have a lawyer or even a president in your family line, but what kind of legacy will you leave? Will it just be your house, or maybe your money, or a few possessions? What about anything that will last? This life is but a vapor. Before you know it, our time on this earth will be over and we will be spending eternity somewhere. Where will that eternity be for you? Make sure you leave a legacy with eternal consequences! Psalm 37:18 says, “The Lord watches over the blameless all their days, and their inheritance will last forever.” Are you working on your legacy? If not, it is never too late to start!
Love and Blessings,
Rev. Larry Baldwin
Hillcrest Baptist Church
Transformed Student Ministry
Transformed Student Ministry 